When holding a beverage, one must be careful to maintain a firm, stable grip on the beverage to prevent dropping or spilling the beverage. When the beverage is hot or cold, this may be more difficult because the heat or cold from the beverage may be conducted through the beverage container to the user's hand. One method for preventing this heat conduction, as well as change of the beverage's temperature due to exposure to the ambient environment, is to support the beverage in a beverage holder, which may be insulated. However, use of such a holder still requires a user to maintain a firm grip on the holder and to store the holder when not currently being used.
One solution to this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,692 to Dzierson et al., in which a glove with a detachable beverage holder is disclosed. The disclosure of Dzierson et al. is hereby incorporated by reference. In Dzierson et al., the beverage holder is secured to the glove in a defined position by a hook and loop closure mechanism extending along the length of the beverage holder. The glove further includes a snap fastener to prevent the weight of a beverage in the holder from causing the holder to be unintentionally detached from the glove. When not mounted on the palm region of the glove, the beverage holder must be stored elsewhere by the user, which is inconvenient and can easily lead to the holder being misplaced.
The invented device is a combination glove and beverage holder. Unlike the device of Dzierson et al., however, in one embodiment of the invention the holder is selectively positionable between a use position in which the holder is proximate the palm region of the glove for receiving a beverage and being gripped by the user, and a stowed position, in which the holder is retained in an out-of-the-way position, such as on the back of the glove. In other embodiments, the holder is pivotally coupled to the glove, thereby enabling the holder to be pivoted between the above positions and/or to remain in a generally vertical orientation even when the glove is not.
Many other features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which preferred embodiments incorporating the principles of this invention are disclosed as illustrative examples only.